A Walking Safari

Besides its designation as a World Heritage Site for its major archaeological significance, Mapungubwe National Park is also a game preserve. It has four of the Big Five (all except the cape buffalo), herds of antelope, giraffe and zebra, snakes and crocodiles in the Limpopo River. Many of the animals on the reserve simply walked over from Botswana or Zimbabwe. Some were deliberately moved here from Kruger including the rhinos, lions and elephants.

We went out on a traditional sunset game drive on Saturday afternoon, our first full day in Mapungubwe and on Sunday morning we set  out on our first walking safari in the center of the preserve.



The thing about walking safaris is that you get to see some of the little things you couldn't possibly notice from up above in a high profile land cruiser. And you are so quiet that you can actually approach some animals without startling them.

And just like for our short hike to the heritage site of the kingdom of Mapungubwe, our guides carried guns ... and they were definitely loaded. There had been a lion sighting the day before and we were walking right into the area where he had been seen. There had also been a black mambo sighting on the heritage walk the day before (not our heritage walk thank goodness, but a later one!) Plus, we were going to see if anyone was home at the leopard cave! I stayed very close to the riflemen.

We walked through a lot of elephant dung.

 And we saw the elephants responsible for it!

And we saw dung beetles doing their thing!

We saw lion paw prints

but thankfully no lions responsible for making them!

But we did see the antlion, one of the Little Five, in one of its antlion traps.

 and one out in the open.

more traps

We saw the resting place for a puff adder!

and it was fresh.

Which could only mean one thing ...












...  a puff adder.

Yep.

Luckily he was not very interested in us.

We saw the sand print of a crocodile who must have just slithered into the Limpopo River moments before.
















Here is that leopard cave with some leftover bones in it.












We saw the largest rhino midden I have ever seen!











... and way up on the hill, we saw several rhinos under the baobab tree.

This scrub hare knew we were there but didn't run off for the longest time.

We saw lots of insects like this grasshopper and we saw a bunch of crickets with bright red underbellies.

In and under the Mopane trees, Mopane worms. Some dead ...

 and some alive.

This is a frog's nest. It is filled with tiny tadpoles who fall into the pond when they are ready to morph!

Watch where you step. This birds' nest and eggs were well camouflaged.

I wonder, ... 

... what bird produces these pretty speckled eggs?

a bee eater

a kingfisher

 and a pair of bee eaters.











Speaking of watching where you step, do not step in any water puddles. Vince measured this hole with his Nguni fighting stick knobkierie-turned-walking stick. You could go in up to your neck!

Conclusion: A walking safari is a nice change of pace.